Nintendo approached Cyanogen for the Switch’s OS

In the early life of the Nintendo Switch, when it was still codenamed Nintendo NX, there were a lot of rumors floating around about the device. We saw a console with an oval shape and a screen that seemed built into the buttons and rumors that the new device would run Android as its operating system.

While the product we have today resembles nothing of those early prototypes, it looks like the Android rumor may not have been far off. Cyanogen’s Kirt McMaster tweeted early this morning to say that Nintendo had approached him about designing a custom Android-based operating system for their new console, but he had some choice words for the company.

Add this to the list of terrible business decisions by Cyanogen and its CEO.

Remember how Nintendo was eager to team up with another company to produce a CD-Rom add-on for the SNES? How they went to Sony and got as far as prototypes before calling the whole thing off and teaming up with Philips instead? And how that didn’t lead to anything good, either?

We have no idea what kind of terms Nintendo was interested in here. While McMaster generally hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt, there’s a chance he made the right choice.

All I can say is “THANK DEITY!” that they didn’t. That’s all we need… one more shitty Android device…

Mind you I use Android on my phone, and I have an Android tablet. I have a strong dislike for both of them, it’s just that Google in many ways is ‘less evil’ than Apple. Would be awesome if we had a third choice… that wasn’t Microsoft.